Big Ambitions: a FRINGE LAB & Fishamble: The New Play Company Partnership

We are delighted to be announcing Big Ambitions, a new partnership with Fishamble: The New Play Company and FRINGE LAB, for this year’s edition of Dublin Fringe Festival. This new initiative provides dramaturgical supports towards the development of two excellent new plays set to premiere in the 2023 edition of the festival. 

The artists and shows that are part of this inaugural year of Big Ambitions are Dagogo Hart’s Mmanwu and Carley Magee & Aaron Finnegan’s Hand of God. These shows will each have their world premiere this September at Dublin Fringe Festival 2023. Both projects will receive detailed dramaturgical mentorship from Fishamble’s Literary Manager Gavin Kostick. 

"Fishamble is delighted to be working with Dublin Fringe Festival on Big Ambitions 2023. Fishamble: The New Play Company recognizes the huge value of Fringe in supporting new voices for the stage. We look forward to working with artists Dagogo Hart, Carley Magee and Aaron Finnegan in producing compelling new visions for Fringe audiences." - Gavin Kostick, Literary Manager, Fishamble

“Dublin Fringe Festival have worked with Fishamble: The New Play Company on various development initiatives for over ten years and it’s incredibly exciting to have this new partnership take form. Their skills and mentorship provide an invaluable resource for emerging playwrights creating bold work that speaks to contemporary Ireland. We’re looking forward to seeing the impact of these vital dramaturgical supports when both shows have their world premiere at Dublin Fringe Festival 2023.”  – Bee Sparks, Artistic Projects Manager, Dublin Fringe Festival 

This year Fishamble: The New Play Company and Dublin Fringe Festival decided to formalise our play development partnership Big Ambitions. Big Ambitions was initially developed in 2020 as part of FRINGE LAB’s Fringe 50, a pandemic initiative in which FRINGE LAB supported 50 artists who introduced themselves to us through our festival application process as they continued crafting and coalescing their big ideas. In this initiative FRINGE LAB paired these 50 artists with key collaborators including Fishamble: The New Play Company, Soho Theatre, THISISPOPBABY, Gilded Balloon, Inua Ellams, The White Pube and more. Through this scheme Fishamble’s Gavin Kostick provided ongoing mentorship to six new plays: Lianne O’Hara’s Fluff, William Dunleavy’s Narcissus, Harry Butler’s What Time It Shuts, Megan McDonnell’s Allie Down the Boghole, Bríd Ní Chomáin & Siofra O'Meara’s Clearance and Emma Finnegan, Sam Killian & Annachiara Vispi’s Pig Brain, several of which went on to successful premieres. Last year, Fishamble supported the development of Samuel Yakura’s The Perfect Immigrant, which premiered in the 2022 edition of the Festival. 

Fishamble discovers, develops and produces new plays of national importance with a global reach. It has toured its productions to audiences throughout Ireland, and to 19 other countries. It champions the role of the playwright, typically supporting over 50% of the writers of all new plays produced on the island of Ireland each year. Fishamble has received many awards in Ireland and internationally, including an Olivier Award.